Chaos is Simplicity
by Scrawny Scrivener
Summary: With Naraku on the loose in the modern world, thirsting for revenge, Kagome transfers to Seigaku. Tennis won't be the only thing she stirs up. Discontinued.
1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:** I haven't written stories in a longtime, so please feel free to correct me. I would greatly appreciate it! I am thinking about making this story a Fuji/Kagome pairing. I think Fuji can live up to the expectations I have for the main male character of this fic. The part I edited was that I kept Kagome human instead of turning into a full dog demon. I think it will allow this story to not be completely off the wall, not that anime isn't abnormal anyways. Please review!

Words: 4,051

Kagome was off at a sprint around Tokyo. She had just come from the Bone Eater's Well, where she had taken part in the final battle against Naraku. Thanks to her adopted older brother's generosity, there had been less than the expected amount of deaths on their side. He has given her a special sword, one that rivaled the Tetsusaiga and the Tenseiga, to take with her to the past. Kagome stopped running. The crosswalk light across the way was red and cars were speeding by. She couldn't wait to speak to him, to tell him everything that was bothering her with that last battle.

'Naraku did not seem dead enough,' she worried, 'even though his head was completely severed from his body.' The cars paused and all the pedestrians began moving, going every which way. 'Okay, save your worries for Sesshoumaru-nii, Kagome. Now, where did he say this building was?'

Scanning her surroundings, the teenage miko chose to turn left at the next street. She could remember when he had first asked her to become a true sibling, his only sister. It wasn't a surprising event, considering that she had effectively wormed her way underneath the demon lord's rough exterior and into his heart during the two years since she had found out about the well's powers. They had performed the blood ceremony a few months before the last battle. Sesshoumaru had taken her under and, consequently, her friends wing and began teaching her close combat, swordplay, and strategy.

Kagome never quite understood why, but she had a gut feeling that she had been forced into the world of demons sooner than fate had planned. The first time she had been down the well, when the centipede demon bit the jewel out of her side, she was twelve and it was overwhelming. But she took it all by stride, it was the only thing she could do. As Kagome rounded another corner, a regal, stark white building came into view.

'That must be it,' she slowed as she neared the gargantuan building. 'Pompous onii-chan.' Kagome looked at the windows towering over her. 'Pompous ass onii-chan..'

The teenage miko entered the building. Everything was white with either a silver or gold accent. The waiting couches, tables, and even the elevators held to the color scheme. There were two other people on the ground floor, a receptionist behind a white desk, and an elevator doorman, both of whom were wearing silver suits. Kagome walked in awe of the Gothic style high ceiling and the equally tall windows and towards the receptionist.

"Um...I'm here to see Taisho Sesshoumaru," she spoke tentatively. The woman looked at her.

"He's been expecting you," she spoke plainly. "Up the elevator, top floor."

"Thank you."

Kagome walked to the elevator doorman and entered the small, pristine room. The railing and button panel was lines in gold, with white floor tile and silver-lined mirrors. Kagome wouldn't have put it past him to use real gold and silver, with the grandeur of the building. She pushed the button for the top floor, level fifty-six. Slowly, the elevator started climbing the floors.

'Sesshoumaru-nii-chan never mentioned that his company was large enough to have fifty-six floors of management. What the hell has he been doing?' Kagome fiddled with the sword in her hands. At long last, the elevator ceased its movement and the doors opened into a large, spacious room. Kagome stepped out of the elevator. Everything looked bright. The room was floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing brilliant sunlight streaming through. 'Whoa, is the whole floor his office?'

"Obviously," Kagome jumped and spun around. Sesshoumaru was leaning against the wall next to the elevator from which she just came. His long, silver hair reached almost his calves, which were covered by a very expensive looking suit. He smirked at her as she got used to the blinding light inside the room.

"Damn you, Nii-chan! Don't read my thoughts!" Kagome crossed her arms, sticking out her tongue in the process. 'Prick,' she thought.

"I heard that. I wouldn't be able to if you didn't make it so easy, Imouto," he led her to a very plush white couch. They both sat down. "The sword worked well."

"You would know," the teenage miko huffed. Kagome looked at the hand holding the sword. "You were there, Nii-chan. Here ya go."

Sesshoumaru leaned the sword against the side of the couch. "What is wrong, Kagome?"

"I don't know if it means anything, but," she began, twiddling her thumbs, "it didn't feel as if Naraku was truly dead. I mean, I know his head was severed completely, but it didn't feel_ right_."

Both of them sat there, deep in thought for several minutes. Finally, her brother spoke. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see. Until then, you're staying with me."

"What?" Kagome was startled. "Why? The shrine has a protective barrier around it and the well is sealed. No one can go through it now. Why do I need to stay with you, Nii-chan? I don't want to leave my human family.."

"Exactly," He poked her nose, chuckling as she scrunched the said appendage. "You want your family to be safe, don't you? They cannot fend for themselves if Naraku somehow has survived and seeks revenge. However, if you stay with me at my mansion, they will be safer."

Kagome though for a moment. "Okay. But you gotta let me inform my family and my school. I don't think I can make it all the way across town to that place twice every day."

"Deal."

Kagome remembered something.

"Onii-chan, did the adoption papers go through yet?"

Her brother got up and sifted through a stack of papers on the desk by the windows across from the elevator. He found the right paper.

"Congratulations, you are now Higurashi-Taisho Kagome. Since last week, actually."

….

"Moshi moshi. Sato Gakuen, co-ed school. How may we help you?"

"My name is Higurashi Kagome and I called to inform you that I will be out for the next several weeks." She knew they wouldn't have her new name in the system since she hadn't attended in two weeks.

"Okay..." She could hear her typing. The tapping did not cease. "For how long did you say?"

"Indefinitely," Kagome winced at the words. She had already missed so many days these past two years. She needed to catch up with everything and now her education would be postponed again...not that she truly minded. Her mother did and would, however. And that was a wholedifferent world of pain.

"Um, please hold, Higurashi-san."

She cursed.

"Okay."

A few minutes later, the woman spoke again.

"I am very sorry, Higurashi-san, but Takashido-san believes that because of all your missed days and this indefinite absence that he will not be able to keep you as a student here."

"What!" Kagome shouted. Her mother would be pissed. Takashido was the principal at Sato Gakuen. If he had said that she was not allowed back at Sato Gakuen, then it was almost certainly final. "What am I supposed to do about school?"

"Well," Kagome could almost hear the woman think. "I don't think there's any harm in telling you this... There's a school across town from here that would most likely take you in. Your file says that you were tennis captain here, so I'm guessing you're pretty good. This school has a very good tennis team and wouldn't mind taking in another good player."

"Okay, thanks," Kagome calmed a bit. Her mother would be less mad if she had already found another school to take her in. "Wait, what's the name of this school?"

"Seigaku."

"Okay, I'm coming over to get my records in a minute."

"Okay."

The line clicked and their conversation ended. Kagome sighed.

"Okaa-san!" She called down the hall from the house phone. Hearing a reply, she continued, "I'll be transferring schools, too. I just called Sato Gakuen and apparently I've missed too many days there to be considered a student."

"What?" She saw her mother come from the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand. She was making some pasta, Kagome deduced, because there was a stray noodle stuck to the utensil. "How will you receive an education? Let me call them back!"

"Okaa-san, it' fine," Kagome tried to reassure her. "I talked to the secretary and she told me of a good school across the city that will take me in. Plus it's _super_ close by to my friend's house, where I'll be staying."

"If you're sure, Kagome," Her mother looked uncertain.

"I am, Okaa-san," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'll go over there right now and enroll."

Kagome got up and walked to the front door. Pausing for a second, she turned back and called, "Hey, Okaa-san?"

"What, Kagome?" Her mother didn't bother to look around from where she was cooking the kitchen. She could hear bubbling water and the sounds of her mother fiddling around in the other room.

"I've been adopted," Kagome winced at the sound of a bottle falling to the floor. He mother appeared in the hall.

"You're joking, right?" She looked too shocked for words. "What the hell, Kagome!"

"No, Okaa-san. Taisho Sesshoumaru wanted to become my brother since we became close enough to be siblings back in the past. I wanted to be his sister, too." Kagome looked at her feet.

"Taisho Sesshoumaru's a demon?" Her mother looked faint. Kagome thought she would've, too, had she not braced herself against the wall. "The one who was always around here before? With the long silver hair?"

"Yes, Okaa-san, and don't tell Jii-chan, please," She attempted a joke. The mood was too thick. "Why else would a big time mogul like him come around a runt like me?"

She snickered, but stopped when she saw her mother's face.

"You will always be my mother, Okaa-san, because all I did was gain a brother and you gained a son that can take care of everyone," Kagome smiled. "I love you, Okaa-san."

"H-Hai," Kagome hugged her mother. "I love you, too, Kagome."

"CRAP! I gotta go, Okaa-san, or I won't make it today! Bye!" She ran out the door. How could she forget about the time? She had to go get her records from Sato Gakuen and make it to Seigaku before they closed for the day.

'I will _never_ make a day this full again,' Kagome vowed. Today was just too hectic, even for a fourteen-year-old.

….

For the second time in the same day, Kagome found herself across town. This time, instead of a sword in hand, she held a stack of papers, her school and health records she received from Sato Gakuen and the adoption confirmation sheet that Sesshoumaru had given her with her new name. Kagome was supposed to not go to school while at Sesshoumaru's place, she pouted. She could have used all this time that she would now be in school training with her brother.

'Oh, well,' she sighed, 'if it'll make Okaa-san happy.'

Suddenly, she ran into something hard. The recoil of the hit made her fall onto the pavement.

"Ow! What the hell?" Kagome rubbed her backside. Hearing a chuckle, she looked up. She had ran into a boy who looked to be around her age with brown hair and wearing a green uniform. "Oh, sorry. I didn't see you there. Are you all right?"

….

He stared at her as if she had grown a second head. She had just asked if _he _was okay when she was the one who had gotten hurt when they bumped into each other.

'I might as well be nice to her,' he thought and he held a hand for her to take. Once she was up, he noticed her appearance. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a purple shirt. She had nice, black hair and what looked to be smooth skin. 'She looks kind of...good.'

"...you even listening to me?" He face was right in front of his.

He blinked.

"What?"

His answer seemed to anger her for the next thing he knew, he was sprawled out on the ground, his cheek stinging. He hissed. She had punched him! Him! She could have at least waited for him to explain an excuse or something before decking him in front of his friends. He could hear their snickers from behind him. He rubbed his cheek and got back up.

The girl had already stalked off.

"Nice job, Kaidoh," Momo put a hand on his shoulder. "You know how to make an impression on the ladies."

Momo couldn't continue because he doubled over, laughing. He shrugged off the hand on his shoulder and glared. They had just finished the first matches against their rival school, which they had won, and since they had finished early, they had to go back to school for the last hour.

"She did seem mad that you were too busy checking her out to pay attention to her apology, Kaidoh," Fuji smiled, his eyes closed. He would have sworn that the smile was actually a smirk for an instant.

"Shut up."

….

"Well, Higurashi-Taisho-san, it's not often that we get minors who come here alone and wish to join our school," The principal put down her files and smiled at Kagome, who tentatively smiled back.

"I know it's such short notice, but I would really like to become a student of your school," Kagome bowed from her seat. "Please take me."

"I'm sure Seigaku would love to have a student with your standardized test scores and not to mention your ability in tennis, but, first, I have one question."

Kagome looked on expectantly. The principal ruffled through the papers until he found the right one.

"It says here that you missed so many days at Sato Gakuen because of illnesses, that you were kicked out. Will this happen again?"

"No, sir," Kagome bowed again. " I am perfectly healthy now."

"Good to hear," He smiled. "Welcome to Seigaku, Higurashi-Taisho-san. I hope you enjoy your time here with us and the tennis team."

Kagome sweatdropped. 'It better be co-ed,' she thought as she walked down the hallway.

"I am sure I will, sir. Thank you for your time."

She got up and exited his office.

'Yes! Now Okaa-san won't be mad! Neither will Nii-chan, for that matter,' Kagome did a mental fist pump before exiting the school and later the grounds. Her stomach growled. 'Now, time for food..'

….

"I'm home!" Kagome shouted as she made it back to the Higurashi shrine. She opened the font door and took off her shoes. The scents of dinner still lingered about. It hadn't taken her as long as she thought it would to enroll in her new school. "I was accepted into Seigaku!"

"That's great, dear!" Kagome heard her mother's voice coming from the dining room. "Souta told me to tell you goodbye. He's at a friend's house tonight."

"Okay, Tell him I say bye, too, please," Kagome walked into the dining room. All she ad to do was pack now and then she'd be on her way. The miko figured that she would call Onii-chan on her way to get directions. "Nani? Nii-chan, why are you here?"

Sesshoumaru, her mother, and her grandfather were sitting around the table having tea, the remnants of dinner still on the table.

"Because, Imouto, you being you, you would not have properly told your mother about the adoption and, by the looks of things, I am correct," He sipped his tea. "And, to pick you up. You'd have gotten lost if I left you to your own deivces."

"Hey! I was gonna fix it!" Kagome huffed as she sat down at the table. Judging her mother's and grandfather's looks as being confused, she added, "Sesshoumaru can read minds. He probably read yours, Okaa-san, and saw worry or something."

"Demon!" Jii-chan shouted and placed a useless seal on Sesshoumaru. Kagome snickered. While it was funny to see Jii-chan try to use his old seals on one of the strongest and oldest demons alive today, it was even more comical to see her brother's expression. "Begone!"

"Otou-san, stop it, please," her Okaa-san pleaded, hiding a smile behind her hand, feigning shock. She knew her mother had a sense of humor in there somewhere, especially under the circumstances. "Sesshoumau-kun is not a demon."

"Then how do you explain his ability to read minds?" She could tell that Jii-chan didn't believe her. He had another seal ready. Kagome saw Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitch. That was never a good sign when caused by anyone else, but her.

'I will handle this, Nii-chan,' Kagome warned him. 'And I don't want them to know that I am also a demon so please don't saw anything that would give it away. It'd be too much on them.' She saw that her silver haired brother relaxed on his cushion and gave a slight nod.

"Jii-chan, Sesshoumaru-nii-chan is telepathic. He has powers kind of like our family of priests and priestesses," She lied. She was the only one in generations of Higurashis who had any spiritual power whatsoever. "He's so human that he puts us to shame."

'I'm warning you, Imouto, do not go too far,' he had projected his thoughts into her mind. Kagome snickered.

'I can't have even a little fun, Nii-chan?' she added mental puppy eyes to the whine her inner voice used. Kagome swore she could hear him scoff.

'Not on your life,' His tone softened. Kagome smiled.

Her grandfather sighed. "Good, at least there's another one in the family that can ward off demons," Jii-chan looked like he was going to rant about the evils of demons in society. Kagome knew that looks well, getting a demon rant at least once a day whenever she was back home. He shut his mouth when Okaa-san placed a hand on his shoulder. Kagome mentally thanked her mother. Jii-chan's rants were usually minutes long. "Keep her safe, will you? From that demon you mention earlier."

"Aw, Jii-chan," Kagome got up and hugged him. He was a sweet man when he wasn't on the subject of demons. "I'll be perfectly safe, I promise."

….

Sesshoumaru watched as his sister hugged her grandfather. He had reinforced the shrine with his own protective spells upon entering the sacred place. He doubted that Naraku, if he is alive, would be able to break the barriers in place. If that demon somehow did, he would know immediately. He didn't want any more harm to come to his little sister. She was still so young and trusting. Too trusting, if you asked him.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some plans to attend to," Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "Would you get your things, Imouto?" Once Kagome left the room, he looked at her other guardians. The older woman, she introduced herself as Kun-Loon, seemed as if she was going to tear up any second. They needed reassuring, he saw. So, he did. "I will make sure that she spends time here every weekend and holiday. Once this demon is destroyed, then she will live here with you all again."

"Good," Kun-Loon-san smiled at him. It was odd to think that he now had a mother and a grandfather once again, especially ones millennia younger than himself. He knew that the older woman believed him to be a demon, most likely Imouto's doing. Sesshoumaru could her his sister paching things up and moving around. "I'm glad."

"Done!" Kagome called down the hallway. She appeared a minute later holding her positively exploding yellow bag. It seemed as if she had stored her entire room inside that tattered, yellow bag. He would have to get her a new one soon, one that was fit for the sister of a Taiyoukai. That would have to wait though, at least until she was settled in with him.

They all shared a few goodbyes before the two demons left the shrine. He could sense his little sister thinking about what to do when she got to his house and what to eat and sweatdropped.

"All you ever think about is food, Imouto."

His plan had worked, he had gotten a reaction out of her. She stuck out her tongue at him. Then, she looked around.

"Nii-chan, are we walking back?" She asked. He smirked.

"No, Imouto." At that moment, his black limousine rolled around the corner. His driver liked to arrive at what he deemed the coolest second to get some reaction out of newcomers, but Sesshoumaru saw it as the last possible second before the man lost his head. Kagome squealed. He winced. "Did you think I drove myself?"

"Sugoi," she breathed. "Nii-chan has style."

….

"Don't I always?" She stared at him. He seemed serious. How could he be serious? All he wore was white and silver.

"Stop joking, Nii-chan. I just figured you had a aversion to cool colors," she finished, poking fun at him.

"Push it any further and you're walking, Imouto," he growled at her. She stuck out her tongue. "No matter if you are my sister. And I do own black suits, also."

"You wouldn't do that to me," she declared, catching his lie. "Besides, I don't know where you live. You don't have the heart to leave me in the middle of nowhere, defenseless and alone."

"Fine," He let her inside the limousine, following after. Kagome smirked. Playing the "little sister" card was her favorite.

"Say, what does your company do anyways?" She mused. "Stare people down? Is it like an intimidation consulting agency?"

"No," He sighed. "I own Taisho Industries and it's a manufacturing company. We produce various items."

"Like what?" She was curious. 'What could he possibly produce that would catch his interest?' She mused.

"Everyday household items, like appliances, sports cars and other vehicles, and all kinds of sporting equipment," he flipped through other items his company produced, smirking at the surprised look she gave him.

"You do all that? I thought that your company was just some bogus corporation that made completely useless items like 'Snuggies' and the like." Kagome spoke innocently. 'Of course, sports cars. Who would've thought that Sesshoumaru-nii-chan was just like every other male...'

His eyebrow twitched.

"You think so low of me as to not contribute to the world that I helped shape? I'm disappointed in you, Imouto," he drawled.

He sucks the fun out of everything, she pouted. Kagome looked out the window. They were already almost across town.

"Fun sucker, am I?" She froze.

"I love you, Onii-chan." She rubbed the back of her head.

"I'm sure you do," Nii-chan smirked at her again. He looked out the window. "We're almost there, Imouto. Just a few more minutes."

"Sugoi! So what's your house like? Is it big?" He nodded. Kagome pressed further. "Like three floors big?"

"You'll see." She hated that. She could tell that Sesshoumaru loved it.

"Aw, come one! Tell me, Nii-chan!" She whined. Kagome despised surprises. They usually led to an awkward predicament in some way or another.

"Patience, Imouto, is key."

"Jerk," she pouted. 'Patience my ass, Onii-chan.'

"I think you are mixing up your thoughts for words."

She looked at him. "Nope! Completely straight."

"You wouldn't have the courage to say what was on your mind, Kagome."

He smirked again. She hated that, too.


	2. Welcome to Seigaku

**Author's Note:** I really would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism available, even if it is something extremely minor. For some reason, with this story, I feel that I can really turn it into a rather good story that I might be able to actually flit through and not feel an ounce of shame later on. Also, with this chapter, I had trouble with characters' thoughts. Some of them are in the accepted punctuation that signifies one thinking and some aren't because I could not find a way to convey what I wanted while using the punctuation. Please feel free to tell me anything that I can do to make this story better or if you have any way to help with the thought problem. Enjoy!

Words: 2,746.

...

Kagome swung her feel lazily under her desk. She was supposed to be learning some English vocabulary, but the partly cloudy sky was so much more inviting. Especially after that incident this morning. There were still some people giving her odd looks for it, too. It wasn't entirely her fault that the moment she saw that pervert again she shouted that he was so.

Kagome didn't have class with him, thankfully, but a few of the people that were standing around him, she guessed they were his friends, were in most of her classes. She sighed. She felt a hand on her shoulder, jolting her out of her thoughts. Turning around, she saw Shippou with his arm extended.

"It's all right, Kagome-chan," He spoke softly, 'probably as to not alert the teacher that her star pupil was not paying attention to her lesson,' she thought.

School had only been in session for a few hours now, but she could already tell that her Shippou was at the top of their class. The teachers loved him, always doting on him and having him answer their questions, smiling ever so larger when he could correctly answer even the ones most obscure. Despite how much he has grown in the past half a millennia, Kagome could not overcome being called "Kagome-chan" by her son, whom had always called her "Okaa-san."

"Thanks, Shippou-kun," Kagome smiled at him, scrunching her nose slightly at the suffix, making Shippou laugh. She knew that no matter what he would always be her "Shippou," no suffixes whatsoever, but they needed to use them for human schooling. Otherwise, there would be some rather odd questions posed at them about why a teenage girl would have a son her own age. The bell rang shrilly, causing both to wince.

"Here," He handed her his notes. "Sensei said that there would be a quiz tomorrow on this stuff."

Her eyes lit up. "Thanks, Shippou-kun! You're a life saver."

"No problem," He smirked, picking up his things and walking over to the door. Most of the students had already cleared out by now. "Watch how far you kick your legs when you daydream, Kagome-chan. Those fat limbs hurt, ya know!"

"Why you! Shippou-kun, get back here so I can kick your ass!" Kagome ran after him. The hall was so packed full with students that she had no chance of catching up with the perpetrator. "I'll kill him next time I see him!"

"Excuse me, Kagome-san," A hand taped her shoulder. Kagome spun around to see to whom the hand belonged. It was one of the pervert's friends. He had brown hair and smiling blue eyes. He seemed nice enough, she decided. "You left this at your desk in English."

Kagome bowed. "Thank you..."

"Fuji Shusuke," he filled in for her.

"Thank you, again, Shusuke-san."

Before he could speak further, she disappeared down the hallway.

….

Fuji watched the girl leave, notebook in hand, an abnormal feeling in his chest. He had only had this feeling once before, while playing a match against Ryoma. However, this time the rare feeling of excitement was not due to tennis. It was due to the new girl who called Kaidoh a pervert.

This girl happened to be in some of his classes, too, which would usually be advantageous when it comes to new puzzles. In his experience, new girls were usually talkative, making them extremely easy to figure out. Although, with Kagome, she spoke to their teachers and to Taisho Shippou, only. Both did seem rather close though. And they did have similar last names. Was she adopted? If she wasn't there were two other options and both seemed quite unlikely. She could have either gotten married or changed her name. It was nearly unheard of to have a girl married off at the age of fourteen nowadays. It was more possible that Kagome had changed her name or she was adopted.

She was more of an enigma than anyone else Fuji had come across. And he wanted badly to deduce exactly what made her tick.

….

"Kagome-chan, let's eat under that tree," Shippou pointed to a plush, green tree. "Please?"

"Hai, Shippou-kun," The said girl smiled as they made their way over tot he tree at the front of the school grounds. A good majority of the clouds had cleared and most everyone was enjoying the rays during their lunch hour. She had already forgiven Shippou when he had used her own puppy dog eyes against her an hour before.

'I never could stay mad at him,' she smiled as they both plopped down onto the grass. They sat in silence for several minutes, absorbing the sun's rays. Finally, she stopped eating and leaned back.

"After you left poor defenseless me behind after English, I met a nice-"

"Girl," Shippou finished for her, digging into another component of his bento box. "They're all nice. Which one?"

"No, Shippou-kun," She smiled. 'Sometimes he was exactly like InuYasha, overprotective, and also like Sesshoumaru, in moderation.' "I met a nice boy who gave me my blue notebook back. I didn't even remember taking it out for notes."

"That will be all he's giving you," She heard him mumble and chuckled. It had been five hundred years since he had seen her before last night and Kagome understood his protectiveness of her to an extent. 'He'll get used to me being back eventually,' She took another bite of her rice ball.

"And he invited me over to his house tonight, so we can get to _know_ each other," She smirked. Shippou's jaw dropped. She could now see why he would always tease her and play pranks. It was just too much fun.

"WHAT?" Conversations around them stopped at his shout. People stared. "You're insane if you think I'm going to let you do something like that! Who is her? I'll kill him!"

"Calm down, Shippou-kun," Kagome held her hands up. "I was joking. All he did was give me my notebook back."

She held it up for proof. He inspected it slowly, his anger leaving him.

"Kagome-chan," He looked straight into her eyes. She had never seen him so serious. "No one's good enough for my mother unless I say so and whoever he is, he isn't."

"Aw, Shippou-kun," She hugged him. "But you don't even know him."

"And you do?" Shippou questioned. She was stumped. Their food laid forgotten.

'Why am I defending him?' She couldn't figure it out. He was just a boy whom she had known for a few hours now, but she didn't know his name. 'Why would he matter to me?'

"I think it's because I have a good feeling about him," She said, fumbling with the Shikon no Tama. "I don't think he's trouble."

"Yeah, well, be careful, Kagome," Shippou warned and finished off his bento. "You gonna finish that?"

He pointed to her own barely touched box. She laughed at his mouthful of food and handed it to him. "Dig in, Shippou-kun."

He didn't need telling twice.

….

She didn't see Shippou for the rest of the day. She was heading towards the tennis courts, having seen them earlier that day during a class. As she rounded a corner, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"For such a small school, their tennis must be top-of-the-line to have courts like these," Kagome muttered, gazing at the courts. There were sixteen in total, fenced in in sets of four. Practice had already commenced before she had arrived, it seemed. People were already using most of the courts, others running laps, and even more others were training with weights on the side. At least, the males were. She wondered aloud, "are there any female tennis players here?"

"There are some."

She jumped. Turning around, Kagome got a view of her surpriser. It was an older woman with long, gray hair tied back in a ponytail. True enough, there were a small group of girls, maybe six or seven, standing in a far corner where the woman was pointing. Only a few were actually practicing though. Half of them seemed content to stand leisurely.

Kagome bowed to the woman. "Hello, you must be the coach, Ryuzaki-sensei. I am Higurashi-Taisho Kagome and I wish to join your tennis team."

"So you were the one Irakawa-san mentioned," the woman mused under her breath. Kagome was sure that she wasn't supposed to hear that. Ryuzaki smirked at Kagome, her arms comfortably crossed across her blue windbreaker. "Very well. You may go warm up and practice with the other girls for today."

"Hai, sensei. Arigato."

With that, Kagome ran to where the other girls were. Some of them looked up as she neared. They didn't say anything to her.

"Um, I just joined the team and Ryuzaki-sensei told me to warm up over here," She informed the curious ones.

"Warm up, then," a girl with short, brown hair and chestnut eyes spoke. "Ryuzaki-sensei said so."

"Okay."

Kagome began stretching. A girl with long, black hair held back in two braids approached her. 'She seems nice enough. She was the only one practicing when I came over here,' Kagome thought and smiled at the girl as she came closer.

"Ano, hello," she spoke quietly, a small blush tinted her cheeks. 'She actually looks cute. Aw, she reminds me of Shippou-kun's level of cuteness!' Kagome turned her thoughts away from playing dress up with the small girl and back on what she was telling her. "I am Ryuzaki Sakuno."

"Higurashi-Taisho Kagome," she introduced herself, making the girl smile slightly. "It's nice to meet you, Sakuno-chan. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Ano, I was wondering...if you would...like to...ano...practice with me?" The girl was staring at the ground, her entire face red as she finished her question.

Kagome's eyes softened. 'She must get turned down a lot, poor girl.'

"I would love to, Sakuno-chan," Kagome's smile widened and she gently ruffled Sakuno's bangs. The young girl stared at her.

"R-really?" Sakuno seemed genuinely surprised. "You want to?"

"Hai," Kagome started running in place.

"Okay! I'm going to go to the bathroom now. When I'm back can we start?" Sakuno's hands were clasped in front of her, keeping her tennis racket in her arms. At Kagome's nod, she ran off.

'With Sakuno here, I didn't notice that these girls were staring at me,' Kagome twisted her head, uncomfortable.

"Sakuno's crazy."

"Yeah, I don't know what she thinks she's doing. It's not like she's going to get better."

"Yeah, she still can't even hold her racket correctly. So much for being the coach's granddaughter, Ryuzaki-sensei must be ashamed."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched. 'Who did those girls think they were? Sakuno-chan is such a nice girl, too.'

"There's no need to be so mean to Sakuno-chan. She doesn't deserve to be treated that way by you all," Kagome spoke offhandedly. The front worked. The three gossiping girls stared at her. All three had short hair, cut around chin length, and looked so similar to one another that Kagome doubted she coud tell one from the other. They were standing to the side of the small group, 'preferring to leave their rackets on the ground than put them to good use,' Kagome inwardly huffed.

"What's it matter to you, new girl?" The one in the middle put their hands on their hips.

"Yeah, you're new. You have no right in how we _seasoned_ members talk about underclassmen."

The third agreed.

"I may be new here and I may not have a say according to you three," Kagome laid them with a piercing glare, perfected to Sesshoumaru's level or intimidation through months of practice. "But I will not tolerate someone trash talking my new friend."

"Oh, yeah? What're you going to do about it, newbie?" The middle one sneered.

"I saw some street courts not too far from here," Kagome took out her racket. "How about a tennis match tonight at, say, seven o'clock? Bring your friends, too."

"You're on, new girl." The middle one scoffed.

The other two chorused their agreement.

"Kagome-senpai! Are you ready?"

The said girl looked in the direction Sakuno called from. The young girl was running toward her.

"Hai, Sakuno-chan!" Kagome exclaimed back. Before running to the girl, she turned back to the three. "Be prepared." She turned back to Sakuno, who was much closer by now. "Let's practice over there, Sakuno-chan! I like being in the sun more than over here in the shade."

"Hai!"

Kagome smiled as they made their way over. 'That girl was too cute!'

"Want to practice hitting the ball to each other from against the wall?" asked Kagome, who was twirling her racket around a finger.

"Okay," Sakuno got into position. Kagome frowned. 'Poor Sakuno-chan. No wonder she gets made fun of by those jerks. Her starting position is wrong..'

"Ne, Sakuno-chan," began Kagome, effectively gaining the girl's attention once more. "Why don't you try moving your hips more to the left so that they are parallel to the wall?"

Sakuno did as asked.

"Now, doesn't your right foot feel weird in that position?" Sakuno nodded and the miko continued. "Try placing your foot how mine is. Does that feel better?"

"Hai!" Sakuno smiled up at her, making the older girl smile broadly in return. "Thanks, Kagome-senpai."

"Call me Kagome," The younger of the two nodded, blushing slightly. "Now, let's fix your grip, Sakuno-chan. See how mine is with my knuckles on the bottom corner? Why don't you see how it feels to you. Is it okay? No? Then try this, Sakuno-chan..."

….

Ryuzaki Sumire smiled as she watched her new player help her granddaughter with her tennis. She felt a pang in her heart as she thought that it should be her helping her grandchild with the sport she loved and not a newcomer. With all the extra practices to help out the regulars, Sumire hadn't had time to teach Sakuno the proper technique of things in tennis, like grip. She glanced at the courts in front of her and immediately wished she hadn't. Momoshiro and Kaidoh had apparently gotten into a fight. No one appeared to be stopping it.

'What a day for Tezuka-kun to be gone,' Sumire sighed. 'This is just great..'

Deciding that if the two regulars did not get it out of their system now, then the tension would just increase, Sumire ignored the courts for now, focusing instead on Sakuno and the new girl. Irakawa-san had mentioned that this girl would be joining her tennis team and that she was undoubtedly a good player the day before. 'Knowing Irakawa-san, she was probably forced into it,' The coach sighed again. 'That man was obsessed with Seishun's tennis team.'

The two girls had started volleying a tennis ball back and forth. 'Sakuno's form had improved with the tips the other girl had given her,' Sumire noticed. 'The Higurashi-Taisho girl had impeccable form, also.' She watched the two for a few minutes longer before she heard some commotion coming from the C courts where Momoshiro and Kaidoh were located. Sumire sighed. 'Would this ever end?'

"Momoshiro! Kaidoh! Fifty laps each!" She yelled, irritated that their fight had taken this long. Both had a few bruises on their exposed bodies, she noted as they ran out of the C courts muttering a string of curses. "That's another lap for every curse word you two muttered! You should know better ones than that!"

Sumire smirked at their groans, watching the two run a full lap around the four C courts before returning her gaze to the two girls practicing against the wall. She recalled what she overheard of the older girl's challenge to three of her female players. 'The only street courts around here were by the park..'

"Seven o'clock, huh?" She looked up at the sky for a second. "This should be interesting.."


	3. Tennis!

**Author's Note:** So, this chapter is very short. I have writer's block and would love some help.

Words: 1,091

/\/\/\/\

"Nice one, Fuji-senpai!" Momo called from behind the fence, his hands cupped around his mouth. "Now hurry up and finish Arai off!"

The prodigy had gained another point against his underclassman. A small smirk played across his lips at the starter's words.

"Forty-five-love to Fuji!" Oishi monitored the match from the sidelines.

Arai bounced a tennis ball on the ground, warming up for what could be his last serve. He readied himself to toss the green ball in the air, swinging his right arm back.

"Practice is over for today!" Their coach's, Ryuzaki's, voice echoed around throughout the courts. Arai dropped the ball, a surprised look crossing his visage.

"What?" A second year asked.

"But it's only six!" Another shouted, stunned.

"I have important matter to attend to tonight," she explained. The words resounded around the club with the help of her megaphone. She gave them all a stern look. "Now get going! I don't have all day, you know."

"Is everything okay, Ryuzaki-sensei?"

The woman looked in the direction from which the voice had came. Inui was closing his notebook beside her. Behind him, other Seigaku regulars were heading over to them. Everyone else was heading toward their respective clubhouses.

"Yeah," the megaphone hung down by her side. "There's just someone I want to check out."

"Yeah?" Eiji was hanging off Oishi, looking at her curiously. "Who? Do we know him?"

"That girl helping out you granddaughter?" Inui inquired. The other regulars looked at him strangely.

"Yes. She was forced to join our team by Irakawa-san," Somehow, Ryuzaki Sumire felt that revealing this tidbit of information would bite her in the ass.

"What!"

"The director?"

"Why?"

"Well, obviously she must be good, otherwise the director wouldn't have made her join."

"She helped Sakuno?"

"Is she nice?"

"How is she good?"

"Idiot! Girls can be good tennis players, too!"

**...**

Sumire sighed. Now every regular, even Tezuka, was curious. Why did she have to say anything in the first place?

"You know curiosity killed the cat, right?" She looked at them pointedly.

"It's not like our curiosity will get us killed, sensei."

"Mada mada dane."

"Shut up, Ochibi!"

"All of you shut up!" Sumire sighed yet again, rubbing her temples. She could feel the beginnings of a headache forming.

"So," Eiji grinned. "Where are you going to see her?"

Sumire looked around. The regulars had her cornered.

"Im not getting out of this, am I?"

"Nope!"

"Mada mada dane, sensei."

She sent a glare to Echizen.

"You better shut it, boy, before I make you run laps until your legs fall off."

Though he did not show much of the surprise and hopefully fear she knew he felt, Sumire felt a sense of achievement at his slightly widened eyes.

**...**

"We're going to the street courts?"

"Yes."

Sunire's eye twitched.

"These street courts? The ones right by our school?"

"Yes. Now shut up!"

"Hai, Ryuzaki-sensei." Half of the group chorused. 'If only that half stayed away...'

"Finally," she rubbed her temples once more, attempting to massage the headache away. No such luck.

Surprisingly, the courts were empty with the exception of the three girls that the Higurashi-Taisho girl had challenged.

"Is she not coming? It's time, right?"

"Idiot. She's just not here yet."

They were silent for a few moments, the best ones that Ryuzaki has had in the past hours.

"Wait, is that her?"

Sumire looked around. The subject of their conversation was walking towards them in a pair of jeans and a green tank top, a cased racket in hand. She was listening to music, Sumire noted the mp3 player in her other hand, and her eyes were closed. The Higurashi-Taisho girl sauntered past them and onto the court.

**...**

"You're late!" One of the three 'triplets' shouted, pointing at Kagome. She pulled one ear bud out and let it hang down, leaving the other one in to listen to her music.

"I didn't think you three would actually be on time," the miko mumbled, twirling her racket. "Not that I thought you'd show up either," she smirked, trailing off with, "my bad..."

"I'll show you!" The same girl screamed. She grabbed her racket ad the other two stepped back.

"Hey! You two, get get your rackets and come back into the court," Kagome pointed at them.

"You can't win against the three of us," Another girl sneered.

"Wanna bet?" The black haired priestess stopped twirling her racket. "Chop chop, you two!"

"You're funeral," said the last of the 'triplets' and all three positioned themselves on the court.

**...**

"Wow," Eiji gaped. He was not the only one. Oishi, Momoshiro, and Kaido had similar expressions.

"She definitely is good," Momoshiro breathed. Kaido 'hn'ed in agreement.

"For a girl," Echizen stated. Eiji looked horrified.

"Wah! Ochibi is sexist!" he cried, holding his face in shock.

"Wha?" The young prodigy was surprised. "No. I-"

"She is good, even for a guy, Ryoma-kun," Oishi cut in.

"She has a weakness," Inui stopped writing in his notebook. Ryuzaki nodded.  
>"Though I doubt these girls would be able to see it, much less use it to their advantage. Chances are less than one percent."<p>

It was silent for a few moments as the group watched the match near its end.

"It's the right corner, right?"

Three heads nodded, Fuji's included.

"Ne, Tezuka, what do you think?" Oishi turned his head to where the tennis captain stood earlier. "Buchou?"

Everyone looked around. The third year captain was nowhere to be found.

"Where'd he go?"

/\/\/\/\

**Author's Note: ** I know, this one is barely over a thousand words, but I am completely and utterly stuck and would like some input from you readers as to what should happen next. I felt bad keeping this in my folder and not sharing it for the week I've had it. So, please review with your input!

-Mers Bug


	4. Author's Note

Hey! So, I have been attempting to rewrite this story for the past few months. It hasn't been going well until around two days ago. I've written the first chapter around four different ways and created hybrids from that, but those were not what I wanted. So, I will post the new and improved story up when I finish the first chapter. I really like it, but can always use some pointers. Ha, so, please enjoy!

-Mers Bug

P.S.- A different pen name might be a better idea. If you have any ideas for this or the story, feel free to send them! I do not care if it is in a language other than English, preferably a romance language, but it doesn't matter. Thanks again!


	5. The New Story Is Up!

**Author's Note:** So, the newer version of this story is posted now, entitled "Delta S Equals Mess." The title refers to the same principle of chemistry as "Chaos is Simplicity" does, which is that the Universe favors chaos. Chaos is the simplest form of entropy and all matter prefers to be in chaos than in a more "stable" state. So, enjoy!


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